Riviere de Galets Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Riviere de Galets.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the window opens up nicely. The first few days are a bit of a mixed bag, but we’ve got some real standouts coming this weekend.

Friday the 24th kicks off with some swell, but it’s messy. The morning has a 5ft south swell, but that cross-on wind from the ESE is putting a bit of a ruffle on the surface. The combined energy is moderate at best (991), and it’s just not clean enough to get excited about. The afternoon gets bigger to 7ft, but the wind picks up and the conditions turn to junk. Not one to bother with.

Now, Saturday the 25th morning is where we start to see some life. The swell drops a touch to 6ft from the southeast, but the wind switches to a light cross-off from the NE at 3 mph. That’s going to tidy things up nicely. The combined energy is still moderate (991), but with clean conditions, it’s a solid option. The afternoon is even better – a glassy, 5ft SSW swell with a 14-second period. That’s some proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy jumps to 1123. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary. This is a good session.

The standout for the entire outlook is Sunday the 26th. The morning is absolutely glassy – zero wind, a clean 3ft SSW swell, and a long 13-second period. The combined energy is moderate (954), but the conditions are perfect. The afternoon is even more special: a 3ft SSW swell with a massive 20-second period, and it’s glassy. The combined energy is strong (1272). This is a classic, long-period groundswell that will be lining up beautifully at this reef and point setup. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have some company, but for waves this clean, it’s worth it. This is the best on offer.

Monday the 27th sees a big jump in size. The morning has a 8ft SW swell with a 16-second period – that’s serious energy (3177). But it’s a cross-shore wind, and the report says the tide might be an issue. The waves will be powerful, but conditions are marginal. The afternoon is 8ft, which is getting into expert-only territory, and the cross-shore wind is up to 12 mph, making it a bit of a washing machine. Tuesday the 28th and Wednesday the 29th keep the size up, with 7ft to 7ft SSW swells, but the cross-shore wind (9-12 mph) keeps the surface a little lumpy. The energy is strong (2146-3349), but it’s not the clean, glassy perfection of Sunday.

From Thursday the 30th onward, the quality drops off. The wind stays cross or cross-on, and the conditions turn choppy. By the time we get into August, the wind is howling at 15-25 mph, and the swell is a mix of short-period windswell and lumpy cross-chop. The combined energy is still moderate to strong at times, but the surf quality is poor. The setup is a reef and point, so it’s not really kite-friendly either. The gap from Thursday the 30th through to the end of the forecast on the 8th of August is a long stretch of poor conditions. The consistent nature of the break means it’ll come back, but this window is a write-off.

Bottom line: Get out there on Saturday the 25th, but don’t miss Sunday the 26th. That’s your day. Everything after that is a battle with the wind.

- Rusty

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